Teyla Emmagan
Encyclopedia
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character
played by Rachel Luttrell
in the science fiction
series, Stargate Atlantis
. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos. She had seen much of her family culled by the Wraith
, although she (and some of her fellow Athosians) possessed the ability to "sense" the Wraith by means initially unknown. In addition, she is skilled in military strategy, martial arts
, and Pegasus-galaxy diplomacy
, and displays knowledge of and proficiency with Earth technology; she practices a form of stick-fighting (based on Eskrima
) with John Sheppard
and has taken up use of Earth weapons (such as a P-90
) with great facility.
In season 1's "The Gift", Teyla and the Atlantis expedition learn that her ancestors were experimented on by a Wraith scientist, and that Teyla is one of the few Athosians who possess trace amounts of Wraith DNA which enable her to sense the Wraith through their telepathic network. Teyla uses this so-called "gift" in many ways throughout the series, both actively and passively, against the Wraith. She flies a Wraith hiveship in season 3's "Misbegotten"), and has immunity from hallucinatory signals sent out by a Wraith device in "Phantoms".
In spite of initial, distrustful attitudes towards her (mostly from military officials), Teyla is left in charge of Atlantis in the absence of the expedition's regular leadership. In the third season episode , Atlantis is reclaimed by a group of Ancients and the Athosians are asked to leave Lantea, settling on a planet they name New Athos, which is unknown to the Wraith. They remain on the planet after Earth regains control of Atlantis, and the Atlantis Expedition provides them with supplies and weapons. Though Teyla notes that she has often felt like an outsider among the Atlantis Earth crew, the rescue of fellow reconnaissance teammate Ronon Dex
convinces her of the team's loyalty to one another.
Season 3's "Sunday" reveals that Teyla has a romantic interest in an unnamed male, who is presumably unaware of her feelings. In season 4, however, Teyla discovers that she is pregnant at the end of "Missing". The child's father is an Athosian named Kanaan. When Teyla is three months pregnant in "Be All My Sins Remember'd", Sheppard suspends her from active duty. In the meantime, the Athosian people have gone missing, and the search for clues to their disappearance proves a season-long arc for Teyla. Michael and his genetic experiments to create Wraith/Human Hybrids are found out to be responsible for the Athosian's disappearance near the end of season 4. At the beginning of season 5, Teyla gives birth to a son, whom she names Torren John after her father and Sheppard. (When fans pointed out that Teyla had introduced herself as "daughter of Tagan" in "Rising
", implying her father's name as Tagan, executive producer Joseph Mallozzi
suggested that Teyla may have been referring to her mother.)
), and dedicate prayers to them. They also hold Atlantis sacred, and many object when they learn that the Expedition plans to destroy Atlantis rather than let it fall to the Wraith. Due to the constant threat of Wraith attack, Athosians consider it a privilege to know when and where one is about to die, and have a ritual prayer for the occasion meant to prepare that person for death. In Athosian culture, a woman is not expected to express her attraction to someone before the man does.
originally auditioned for the role of Teyla, but although she caught the eye of the producers, she was not "quite right for Teyla" and was given the role of Amaterasu in the SG-1 two-parter "New Order
" instead. Teyla's pregnancy in season 4 was the result of Luttrell's real-life pregnancy.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
played by Rachel Luttrell
Rachel Luttrell
Rachel Luttrell is an actress best known for her role as Teyla Emmagan, an Athosian warrior leader on Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series, Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos. She had seen much of her family culled by the Wraith
Wraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
, although she (and some of her fellow Athosians) possessed the ability to "sense" the Wraith by means initially unknown. In addition, she is skilled in military strategy, martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, and Pegasus-galaxy diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, and displays knowledge of and proficiency with Earth technology; she practices a form of stick-fighting (based on Eskrima
Eskrima
Eskrima is the umbrella term for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons...
) with John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and has taken up use of Earth weapons (such as a P-90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
) with great facility.
Character arc
Teyla Emmagan is the leader of the Athosians, a human race of farmers, hunters, and traders from the planet Athos in the Pegasus Galaxy. She is the daughter of Tagan. The Athosians are the first natives of Pegasus whom the Atlantis Expedition encounters on their scouting of potential evacuation sites in . After a Wraith attack on Athos, Teyla and the Athosians settle in Atlantis. Friction in "Suspicion" causes the Athosians to leave Atlantis and settle on the mainland. Teyla stays with Sheppard's team, but later helps with evacuating the Athosians from the mainland several times in the face of various threats.In season 1's "The Gift", Teyla and the Atlantis expedition learn that her ancestors were experimented on by a Wraith scientist, and that Teyla is one of the few Athosians who possess trace amounts of Wraith DNA which enable her to sense the Wraith through their telepathic network. Teyla uses this so-called "gift" in many ways throughout the series, both actively and passively, against the Wraith. She flies a Wraith hiveship in season 3's "Misbegotten"), and has immunity from hallucinatory signals sent out by a Wraith device in "Phantoms".
In spite of initial, distrustful attitudes towards her (mostly from military officials), Teyla is left in charge of Atlantis in the absence of the expedition's regular leadership. In the third season episode , Atlantis is reclaimed by a group of Ancients and the Athosians are asked to leave Lantea, settling on a planet they name New Athos, which is unknown to the Wraith. They remain on the planet after Earth regains control of Atlantis, and the Atlantis Expedition provides them with supplies and weapons. Though Teyla notes that she has often felt like an outsider among the Atlantis Earth crew, the rescue of fellow reconnaissance teammate Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. Played by Jason Momoa, he is a Satedan, a civilization from the Pegasus Galaxy who had a technological level comparable to Earth in the mid-20th century but met the fate of all advanced civilizations in...
convinces her of the team's loyalty to one another.
Season 3's "Sunday" reveals that Teyla has a romantic interest in an unnamed male, who is presumably unaware of her feelings. In season 4, however, Teyla discovers that she is pregnant at the end of "Missing". The child's father is an Athosian named Kanaan. When Teyla is three months pregnant in "Be All My Sins Remember'd", Sheppard suspends her from active duty. In the meantime, the Athosian people have gone missing, and the search for clues to their disappearance proves a season-long arc for Teyla. Michael and his genetic experiments to create Wraith/Human Hybrids are found out to be responsible for the Athosian's disappearance near the end of season 4. At the beginning of season 5, Teyla gives birth to a son, whom she names Torren John after her father and Sheppard. (When fans pointed out that Teyla had introduced herself as "daughter of Tagan" in "Rising
Rising (Stargate Atlantis)
"Rising" is the pilot episode for season one of the military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a Canadian-American spin off series of Stargate SG-1. The episodes were written by executive producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the episodes were directed by Martin Wood...
", implying her father's name as Tagan, executive producer Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi is a Canadian writer and producer.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe television series. He joined the Stargate production team at the start of Stargate SG-1s fourth season in 2000...
suggested that Teyla may have been referring to her mother.)
Characterization
Teyla has many Athosian character traits. She also has the ability to sense Wraith and control them. Although many of the Athosians possess martial skills, they do not consider themselves warriors. The Athosians are widely traveled in Pegasus and are trading partners with many worlds; their extensive knowledge of the Pegasus galaxy has availed the Expedition on several occasions. A spiritual people, the Athosians venerate the Ancestors (better known as the AncientsAncient (Stargate)
The Ancients are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are called "Ancients" in the Milky Way, but are also known as Lanteans or Ancestors in the Pegasus galaxy and as the Alterans in their home galaxy, and they sometimes call themselves Anquietas in their language...
), and dedicate prayers to them. They also hold Atlantis sacred, and many object when they learn that the Expedition plans to destroy Atlantis rather than let it fall to the Wraith. Due to the constant threat of Wraith attack, Athosians consider it a privilege to know when and where one is about to die, and have a ritual prayer for the occasion meant to prepare that person for death. In Athosian culture, a woman is not expected to express her attraction to someone before the man does.
Conceptual history
In the original script, Teyla was called Mikala. Kira ClavellKira Clavell
Kira Clavell is a Canadian actress based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. She attended the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada....
originally auditioned for the role of Teyla, but although she caught the eye of the producers, she was not "quite right for Teyla" and was given the role of Amaterasu in the SG-1 two-parter "New Order
New Order (Stargate SG-1)
New Order is the two-part Season 8 premiere of the science-fiction series Stargate SG-1. The episode earned a 2.4 Nielsen rating, a new record high for the show during its run on cable, which has since been tied, but never beaten...
" instead. Teyla's pregnancy in season 4 was the result of Luttrell's real-life pregnancy.
External links
- Emmagan at Stargate wikia
- Teyla Emmagan at scifiSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.com